The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-24
RUMFoRD's MYSTERY.
The Charges Against Daniel Silver
Not Proven.

RUMFoRD, May 23-Friday statement
was made by man named Bisbee to the
effect that Daniel Silver killed his son David
in Rumford thirteen years ago III self-de-
fence and buried the remains under the
barn. A correspondent of the Lewiston
Journal Immediately set to work to prove or
disprove the statement of Bisbee which was
deliberately made in the presence of four or
five witnesses, all of whom heard the story
from him.
Saturday evening, in company with Bis
bee and Mr.. William Farnum, he made a
search under the barn and dug till 10 o'clock
that night with no success. Bisbee was will
ling to 60, and directly went to the spot
where he thought the bones remained, but
it is the correspondents opinion. after using
the shovel and crowbar for hours, that the
dirt underneath the barn has never been re-
moved since the Lord Almighty placed it
there. The barn is small structure, some
what dilapidated, with convenient place to
get under it.
1t would have taken at least four hours for
one to have dug grave there. Plenty of
evidence exists that he was not gone long
tuOuBu HUN tilc uUuot tlidb luUIulDR 10 40
that. Bisbee could not yindicate his story in
the least. No rocks were found piled to-
gether that would arouse the least suspicion
whatever. Uncle Daniels daughters and
sons-in-law were just as eager to make the
search as any one. This was not the first
time that David had been lost A few years
before this he ran away and was gone three
days, and was finally found near the middle
OF Swift river, on rock above Mexico Cor
ner, by Maj. Joel Richardson. The man
nj cfo IN nIA T.so
found out, through his wandering talk where
he belonged and returned him to his home.
Neighbors and friends who have known
Uncle Daniel for many years speak of him
in the highest terms, as a kind-hearted,
faithful man, and do not believe one single
word what Bisbee has stated. The writer is
of the same opinion. What became of
Daniel Silver will always remain mystery.
Mr.. William Farnum, one of Rumford's
reliable citizens, gives the following account
of the last disappearance of David. Mr.
Farnum is near neighbOr, and has been
acquainted with Uncle Daniel Silver for
forty years. His farm overlooks Silver's
He was husking corn about the 18th of jan
uary twelve years ago.; that he. saw Uncle
Daniel at o'clock in the. morning. on the
ridge near his house, hallooing for David.
He continued to halloo all that day till in
the evening. The reighbors were instructed
to keep lookout for him. The third day
from 80 to rs persons joined in the search,
securing White Cap and Black Mountain.
Mr.. Farnum spent five days searching, but
with no success whatever, The relatives
continued the search during the summer.
Mrs. M. L. Farrar, Uncle Daniels daugh-
ter, relates that during that summer she AMI
her father were up in the back pasture
when suddenly they came near something
that smelled very badly, They advanced
and the stencil increased. Finally, becom-
ing frightened, they returned home. She
expressed a willingness to 90 there and be-
come satisfied, and so yesterday party was
made up and search was made The trees
and everything had so changed in twelve
years that she could not locate the spot so
nothing resulted from the search.